Four practical ways to make sustainability a shared effort

Improving a building is often treated as something an owner does to a building: upgrading installations, optimizing controls or improving its energy label. But actual performance also depends on how the building is used; when people arrive, how they work, and what they expect from the indoor climate. This matters even more as both owners and occupiers face growing sustainability expectations from investors, clients and reporting frameworks.

Tenants are therefore not just an audience for your sustainability plan; they are part of delivering it. ULI Europe’s 2026 research, based on interviews with twelve major European owners and property managers like BNP Paribas Real Estate and Redevco, found that fragmented data and misaligned priorities slow the decarbonization progress in occupied buildings. Its recommendation: bring owners, tenants and property managers together regularly to review the same data and agree on action.

Which brings up the practical question: how do you get tenants more involved in improving your buildings?

1. Share consumption data while tenants can still act

Most tenants only see their actual consumption when the annual settlement arrives.  By then the year is over, the money is spent, and there is nothing left to steer. A spike that could have been corrected in March only becomes visible the following year.

A tenant portal changes that. It gives tenants ongoing insight into their consumption. This prevents year-end surprises and allows them to take action throughout the year, turning them from passive recipients of an invoice into active participants in improving building performance.

Our newest platform feature shows users their own consumption and their share of common-area and base-building consumption, such as electricity used by air-handling units.

2. Set realistic indoor climate expectations

Indoor climate is a common source of tenant complaints, while heating, cooling and ventilation account for a significant share of energy use. Getting it right therefore matters.  But it is a utopia to expect an indoor climate performing perfectly 100% of the time: weather and occupancy constantly change.

Agree upfront on what acceptable performance looks like. Building class, use and tenant profile all matter. A Class A office may use WELL-aligned criteria, while a lower-specification building may set simpler (but still clear) performance targets.

For example, you could agree that conditions should remain within a set range for 95% of occupied hours. Then a slightly cool winter morning that corrects itself within an hour does not require heating the entire building. It is unnecessary, expensive, and works against every target in your ESG plan. A shared benchmark keeps the conversation factual.

3. Build sustainability into the lease

Good intentions are useful, but contractual clarity prevents disagreements later on. A green lease helps, it includes agreements on the sustainable use and operation of a building.

In the Netherlands, green leases are not yet legally defined. This gives owners and tenants flexibility, but also makes it important to record responsibilities clearly. Data sharing and transparency are among the most commonly adopted clauses. Owners who arrange this at signing avoid renegotiating it under time pressure later.

Would you like an example of a green lease clause? Contact us at info@healthyworkers.com.

4. Stay involved, even with triple-net leases

A triple-net lease may place day-to-day operations, maintenance and many associated costs with the tenant. But as the building owner, you cannot completely step away. You remain accountable for your asset and certain regulatory obligations.

The Dutch BACS requirement is a good example. Since 1 January 2026, qualifying non-residential buildings with heating or air-conditioning systems above 290 kW must have a compliant Building Automation and Control System. Even if the tenant operates the building, the owner remains responsible for ensuring this requirement is met.

Regular contact with tenants is therefore essential to coordinate responsibilities and stay in control of your asset.

Make tenant engagement part of everyday operations

Tenant engagement is not a one-off communication campaign. It should be built into how the building is operated. Share consumption data throughout the year, agree on indoor-climate expectations, clarify responsibilities in the lease and stay in regular contact.

When owners and tenants work from the same data and towards the same goals, they can act faster, reduce energy waste and improve building performance together.

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